Justice Demands Accountability

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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As a Christian, I believe we are all made in the image of God — and that means every life matters.

At this time in our history though, our justice system and cultural surroundings keep drumming a different message. It’s like in Orwell’s Animal Farm: Some of us are more equal than others. I agree there are lots of injustices in this world, but right now, the heaviest burden of justice misplaced is on young, black males.

In my lifetime, I have experienced both the Civil Rights Movement and the gutting of the Civil Rights Act by our Supreme Court. I have experienced our nation both as a beacon of hope in the world, and becoming greedier and meaner and more xenophobic. I experience these cultural changes as evil because of my faith. That is why I must say, black lives matter.

Returning to the roots of our faith, and admitting our participation in the practice of this evil, will lead to new levels of accountability for police officers and for us all. Justice will follow.

Comments

If young black males did not objectively commit an obscenely disproportionate percentage of crime perhaps this burden would be lessened.Unfortunately black lives do not typically mean much in the black community since over 90% of crimes against blacks are committed by other black americans.

Justice is allowing the agreed process to proceed without interference. It is abhorrent for mobs to claim "justice" is only one outcome and one outcome only, or else we will bring this country to its knees.

That is mobocracy and it has nothing to do with Justice - which is blind and did the right thing now twice regardless of what a few mobs think or feel.

crimes against blacks are committed by other black americans. - in black neighborhoods. I bet around 90% of crimes against Santa Barbara residents are committed by Santa Barbara residents, too. US DOJ says blacks commit around the same percentage of crime as anglos. They're arrested at a higher rate because LEOs believe your statement, which is self-confirming based on this belief. I recently read that the unemployment rate among black teenagers is 38%, which doesn't help, though.

So is Myrna referring to the brutal rates of crime committed by blacks and against blacks? The DOJ DOES NOT STATE that blacks commit the same proportional rate of crime per capita. Not even close. So you can forget that random statement.The unemployment rate of blacks in LA is higher than that. But that is another topic.Actually, the rate of Latino against white crime is also disproportionately high in SB.

Thugs with gangsta attitudes, rap sheets, poor grooming, lousy english and failed work habits do not get hired. Sure blame "lack of jobs" on any thing else, other than the person as described above you claim "can't find a job".

I'll grant you this, society does not benefit with gangsta attitude dudes idle on our streets. Clean up the attitude and the self and jobs will happen. No one owes anyone a living. You have to earn it. And be grateful when you get it.

Anyone who says I will burn this country down if you don't give me a job, is one bad attitude dude. How about I will do what I can to help build this country up and am willing to do what is necessary to get the skills other people value and will pay me to do what I can now do.

agree with the writer, and yes "black lives matter". While I'm aware of the MUCH higher incarceration rates for African Americans than other ethnic and racial groups, it's too simplistic, nomore, to state baldly that "If young black males did not objectively commit an obscenely disproportionate percentage of crime perhaps this burden would be lessened." The socio-economic situation on the ground, the gross economic inequalities, these are also heavy factors in these scary statistics. In 2004 here are the annual income breakdowns: Asian American $57K @ year, Euro/White $48K @ year, Hispanic/Latino $34K @ year, and African American $30K @ year. There a many factors leading to crimes permitted by various groups; poverty and hopelessness figure into these causes, too.

Number one: Montecito is not in the city of Santa Barbara. Number two: you don't hear police calls every single day about some white dude committing white collar crime. Keep up your class envy wars Hershel because they make you happy and keep you irrelevant.

(Part one of two) Let's look back a few decades and start be focusing on the music that came out from Black America.

Whether it was Motown, or the sound of Philadelphia, the music was about dignity, strength, empowerment, and a better world. The love songs were just that--love songs. Songs about hope, growing old together, and romance. As an ironic footnote, the Beatles' "Blackbird" was an ode to the civil rights movement--as its composer Paul McCartney explained, specifically "take these broken wings and learn to fly; you were only waiting for this moment to arrive". As someone born in 1961 and who started becoming aware of things when I was about 10 years old, I felt that I was watching a great transformation of our country into a place where we could--as Martin Luther King said "live together as brothers" (and sisters) In fact, blacks used the terms "brothers" and "sisters" to refer to one another. Hope was in the air. Fast forward to today...

(part two of two)Today the mainstream Black music scene is filled with an often-misogynistic venue of entertainment knows as Rap/Hip-hop where women are often referred to in terms that for reasons of fearing justifiable censorship, and out of interest for good taste, I won't repeat here. Where violence and gang culture is venerated. We see the slew of female so-called "artists" playing into this by dressing like crack-addicted street hookers. All the while making millions for doing so. It's commonplace to hear about some rapper getting shot, all the while the voices who claim to speak for Black Lives fail to criticize this for fear of A: Appearing racist; or B: Fear of "selling out" "acting White" or not "keeping it real". Out-of-wedlock births are now the norm in Black culture, where husband and wife are replaced with "baby mama" and "baby daddy". How did we go from Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight, to 50 cent and Nicky Minaj? (How did we go from Martin Luther King to anti-Semitic, race-baiting, lying homophobe Al Sharpton, who is a commentator in good standing with Democratic Party media shill MSNBC?)

When a person is raised in a way when they are told that the world owes them, and that because of the injustice in their life they do not have to be accountable for their actions, then more than likely you will have a person who grows up to be anti-social and ultimately, in trouble with the law. When a society collectively becomes so consumed with guilt over injustice historically aimed at a certain race/s, and lower the expectations placed collectively on that race, you will see many of that race behaving accordingly, or to coin the currently politically correct term "acting out". When you tell people that they cannot achieve because society is racist and hates them, all the while incorporating government programs that encourage these people NOT to build stable families, then it should come as no surprise that the crime rates among said demographic soars.

Stop treating Black (and for that matter, Mexicans) as if they are incapable of doing better. Yes, racism is out there, abusive cops are out there, (I'm white and I've had plenty of bad run-ins with cops so I'm no defender of the Code Blue of cop culture) but with rights come responsibility, and those rights were won at a very high price: Just ask Martin Luther King about the price HE paid

Hersch-White collar crime guys always go after other white collar guys looking for a quick buck-What NO-ONE has touched on is birth rates by socio-economic class.The single cigarette selling victim who was as the mother of his children herself called "Lazy' was the father of six.Let's be honest here-responsible parents pay to have children while irresponsible parent(s) get paid to have kids-Do this formula since say 1965-Johnson's Great Society,and we have a rapid shift in our societies norms of family and personal responsibility .

Cop cams are not a panacea. Read up on them more. Why throw a useless band-aid on the matter, just because you can't accept both Brown and Garner did not die because rogue cops were on joy rides. They both died on their own terms. What is with you people?

Dr Dan brings some interesting stats to the table here. Asians, many that come here with little more than the shirt on their back and a language barrier too seem to succeed where other minority groups and even whites have failed in obtaining higher incomes.

It would seem that strong family ties and cultural values that encourage higher education have much more influence than perceived racial discrimination. That may be over simplistic as well, but it's a huge factor.

Talking about rip-offs, and also with reference to the "pass the bill to read it" myth, is anyone aware of what is going on with the current budget bill that is supposed to prevent a government shutdown.

At the last minute, our friends on the right snuck in a provision to undo part of Dodd-Frank - the part that stops banks from using customer money to gamble with, and then when they fail, those same customers and other taxpayers have to bail them out.

Most in the house had no idea until today - this was snuck in late. Talking about deliberately preventing congress critters from reading it, yet alone discussing it, before passing it - and the public being blissfully ignorant as lobbyists try pass legislation to use their money for risky investments. (Citigroup wrote the provision.)

With the ACA, there was a committee of 3 repubs and 3 dems that oversaw the discussion, and writing of the ACA. For the Dodd-Frank abuse, there is nothing - nada.

And another sneaky part of the bill - to give Native American land to Rio Tinto for copper mining, without their permission.

Love it when the pseudo Dem issues are ranted about with apoplexy, and all the while worse stuff is going on behind closed doors.

My fears and trepidation about what is to be unleashed on the unwitting public after Nov 4, is beginning to happen even before the change-over.

The San Carlos Apache Tribe (Tribe) has worked for the past decade to shine light on the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange that would transfer Oak Flat and nearby lands in the Tonto National Forest – lands held sacred by my Tribe and many other Native Americans – to a foreign-owned mining corporation for certain destruction. Sadly, this Land Exchange has been airdropped into the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at the eleventh hour, as Congress prepares to bring the 113th Session to close.

Tut-tut and condemn the behavior of some young Blacks, but how about the White crimes that are not so noticeable because there is no blood and gore, but there is destruction of families - either by financial malfeasance, or by blatant theft of others' private property.

At least Dr Dan makes a legitimate point. I'd be happy to discuss t" he myriad of reasons blacks are worse off economically in many ways since the Great Society was introduced. Further, at least until the earyl 2000's(I have not checked since then) the black middle class was the largest growing, per capita, ethnic group in America. Apparently this evil and cruel system was allowing for a higher percentage of African Americans to "make it" and yet all the media and black mouthpieces talk about is racism and inequality and how it is impossible to succeed. If you tell someone they are a victim they begin to believe it...

Herschel, in attempting to be glib made my point. Sure whites commit more total crimes, but proportionately and despite comprising around 13% of the total population blacks in many cities account for the vast majority of crimes against all ethnic groups. The truth is brutal in this situation.

Jarv you forgot to mention the very expensive white collar crimes committed by whites guys from Montecito.

Herschel_Greenspan (anonymous profile)December 10, 2014 at 6:27 p.m.

Who commits such crimes in African countries and places such as Haiti? (Hint: Human nature is nasty and is often unleashed when we're given power)

"In 2004 here are the annual income breakdowns: Asian American $57K @ year, Euro/White $48K @ year, Hispanic/Latino $34K @ year, and African American $30K @ year. There a many factors leading to crimes permitted by various groups; poverty and hopelessness figure into these causes, too."

DrDan (anonymous profile)December 10, 2014 at 6:19 p.m.

Good point, no criticism here but one sub-question: Where do Jews fit in on this graph? I ask because Jews have endured terrible discrimination in the U.S. (as well as language barriers when they arrived) yet succeed in much greater numbers than their Christian counterparts. (Barring Mormons, who themselves were persecuted)

"Jarvis, breathe deeply, walk around the block, or do what it takes to clear your head."

"Dr Dan brings some interesting stats to the table here. Asians, many that come here with little more than the shirt on their back and a language barrier too seem to succeed where other minority groups and even whites have failed in obtaining higher incomes.

It would seem that strong family ties and cultural values that encourage higher education have much more influence than perceived racial discrimination. That may be over simplistic as well, but it's a huge factor."

Botany (anonymous profile)December 10, 2014 at 9:29 p.m.

The Great Botanical One is correct. Let's also add that Asians speak languages that not only have nothing in common with English, but are not written the same way.

@Tabatha: You probably know by now that I've been throwing a tantrum ever since the NDAA was passed--for whatever its worth. The NDAA is in direct violation of the Sixth Amendment, but when a country is hooked on Redneck reality T.V., Rap "music", and Kim Kardashian's derrière, it's hard to convince the fiddlers that Rome is burning.

@tabatha, you conveniently left out the Rothschild connection. Why are your puppet masters at the Center for Biological Diversity quiet on this one????

"Congress is poised to give the Rothschild owned Rio Tinto 2,400 acres of national forest in Arizona that is cherished ancestral homeland to Apache natives. Controversially, the measure is attached to annual legislation that funds the US Defense Department."

Racial/cultural diversity is destructive. That is why Third World immigration is being used against every European country from Norway to New Zealand. In the U.S. we are told that we must atone for slavery, but Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Baltics are to atone just for being white.

Bill, you can't jump from Marvin Gaye to 50 cent. What about NWA, Ice T? How'd they get gangsta? Making money off cocaine that was shipped in by the CIA to black neighborhoods in LA. Cut it, make crack, make money off the zombies, a few rich black dudes surrounded by struggling families, who you think the kids want to grow up to be? The dreams and hope of your childhood and it's music and leaders was roadblocked by our countries various government agencies. Devils. Apparently Eric Garner didn't even have any cigarettes on his body, so he was choked to death on camera for what, being lazy (according to Jar2x)? Now they say we should outfit cops with cameras? What for? So someone can elicit a payday for Nikon/Canon through the government since apparently it doesn't matter if you're a cop and you kill somebody on film... Snuff film.

bc dares bring up Jews. How about Asians of all cultures and Jews? I think these two exceptions to the blather about racist America pretty much prove the point about being holders of your own destiny. Especially if families take the initiative to read to their kids and uphold standards within their cultural communities for conduct, standards, and expectations.

White culture was created by white people. Black cultures in Africa were created by black people. Asian cultures were created by Asian people. Native American cultures were created by Native Americans. Aboriginal culture was created by Aborigines. Bushmen have a race and culture that is distinct from the Bantu. The essential problem is the removal and transportation of peoples from their evolutionary homes.

If you diversify the Kalahari with Inuit from the Pine Barrens will the Inuit be expected to become Bushmen in three or four generations? Or vice versa - what would we expect from Bushmen in Northern Canada? What would be the point of such "multiculturalism"? How is it different from Somalis in Maine or Hmong in Minnesota?

Jews consider themselves a persecuted minority distinct from white people when whites are being vilified as racists, and xenophobes; but if one removes the Jews from statistics on "white privilege", whites wouldn't appear to be privileged in income, position, or opportunity because of the disproportionate number of privileged Jews in our country.

"I'm curious, what is the politically correct definition of a 'white collar'? Libs are throwing the term around on recent blogs. A lot of us are mixed race in this country including BO."

nativegeo (anonymous profile)December 11, 2014 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest

A white collar can either be a bleached shirt, or a person who works in a job that does not require physical labor. To actually answer your question, if "libs" deem something as such, it's politically correct by definition.

Why doesn't the fact hundreds of thousands for white people fought and died to end slavery in the South ,which was not a national institution but a peculiar small regional institution, cause eternal gratitude in the heads of black Americans every day?

BC, thanks for confirming that it is OK for non-whites to commit "White Collar" crimes. If all criminals evolve to committing "White Collar" crimes, we can live in harmony and stop killing each other. Bros and Homeys welcome to the non-exclusive club of "White Collar" crime.

White collar = professional or executive workers, usually in private industry, but these days found in many areas of public sector. Managerial, accounting, finance, sales, etc. Also programmers, and other salaried professionals who are not compensated for overtime, though expected to put a lot of it in, thus the term 'white collar slavery'.

"White collar crime" is bilking, defrauding, and embezzling from corporations, or even wealthy individuals and funds, usually by senior executives, who then leave in disgrace but with golden parachutes intact, while producing dismal results or losses for stockholders.

In the context of this discussion, proof yet again that Indy readers are a largely insular lot, given to misappropriation of terms they don't actually understand.

Justice demands accountability so it is necessary to confirm this indeed is a video of the Gentle Giant Mike Brown, filmed beating the cr*p out of an old man who finally staggers off and collapses against a wall, while the video recording doesn't miss a beat -- or beating that is:

And if this isn't Michael Brown, under our new piety about "enhanced interrogation" what is the next step we as a nation take after seeing this grotesque video? Confirm it was a staged fake or the real deal going down in our "angry" black neighborhoods.

You could have checked it out yourself ... instead you would allow the misrepresentation to stand and, at the same time, give yourself an out if it is proved false because It apparently does show black-on-black violence. From the video it would appear the anger was warranted - the victim was accused of stealing the larger man's backpack.

......" And if this isn't Michael Brown, under our new piety about "enhanced interrogation" what is the next step we as a nation take after seeing this grotesque video? Confirm it was a staged fake or the real deal going down in our "angry" black neighborhoods."